Young people with Type 1 talk hypos

We asked young people with Type 1 to talk to us about their first or most memorable hypos at university – here's what they told us!

What is a hypo?

Hypos occur when somebody’s blood sugar levels drop. This is dangerous as it means the body doesn’t have enough energy to work properly.

Why do blood sugar levels drop?

This can be the million dollar question. There are some things that we know will make your blood sugars drop too low, like taking too much insulin, unplanned physical activity, not eating enough carbs, or even hot weather. But sometimes there is no obvious reason at all.

What are the symptoms?

There are some common symptoms of a hypo, but everybody will experience a hypo slightly differently – so ask your friends and family what their symptoms are.

What if you can't recognise the symptoms?

Because hypos need to be treated quickly, losing the ability to sense low blood sugar levels – known as hypo unawareness – can be a big problem for people with Type 1 and some with Type 2 diabetes. We've got information on what to do if you're unaware of hypos and the research we're doing to help.

How do you treat a hypo?

It’s important that you treat a hypo quickly with fast-acting sugar, so that blood sugar levels rise again. Good hypo treatments include full-sugar fizzy drinks (not diet versions), orange juice and sweets like jelly babies. Bad hypo treatments include chocolate (the fat in chocolate means the sugar takes longer to get into the blood) and whole fruit like a banana (the fibre slows down the absorption of sugar).

Hypo anxiety

We also know that lots of people with Type 1 are afraid of having a hypo, and will do anything to prevent one. This is called hypo anxiety. We’ve got some tips from a clinical psychologist to help.